Machine for operating on shoe parts



P 1T, 9 G. HAZELTON 1,973,067

MACHINE FOR OPERATING ON SHOE PARTS Filed March 13, 1931 0' v A V Patented Sept. 11, 1934 UNITED STATES MACHINE FOR OPERATING ON SHOE PARTS George Hazelton, Leicester, England, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 13, 1931, Serial No. 522,249

r In Great Britain March 29, 1930 V 10 Claims. (01. 154-412) This invention relates, in one aspect, to machines for applying pressure to a ridge in a work piece to flatten it and, in another aspect, to machines adapted for applying tape to a Work 5 piece of the type above referred to and is herein illustrated as embodied in a type of machine one example of which is described and illustrated in my 'copending application Serial No. 449,909, filed May 5, 1930.

110 One object of the present invention is to provide, in a machine of the type above referred to, improved means for guiding work as it is presented to operating instrumentalities comprising a work support and a pressing tool which work piece in a normally curved state, thereby to flatten the ridge, the ridge extending from that surface which is normally concave both laterally and longitudinally of the ridge. In accordance with this object, a ieature'of the invention consists in the combination with pressing means 01' the type above mentioned of means disposed between the work and the work support constructed and arranged for engagement with the ridge for controlling lateral movement of the work as it passes to the pressing means. To this end, the above-mentioned controlling means, as illustrated, is arranged to engage the sides of the ridge in order to guide the work as it is presented to the pressure applying means.

The illustrated machine is ordinarily used for operating on a work piece the ridge in which is formed by united edges of the work piece which is subsequently formed so as to have a surface continuously curved transversely of the direction of the united edges to cause the ridge to extend from the concave side thereof; but the use of the machine in which the invention is illustrated as embodied is not limited to operating on work pieces having ridges formed as above described 'but such a machine may be employed successfully for operating on any work piece having a ridge, such as an ordinary seam ridge, for example, which protrudes sufiiciently from the surface'of the-work to enable the guides toc'ontrol it by contact with the ridge.

The pressure applying means in the illustrated machine, whichoperate on the ridge in a work piece to flatten it, also will eiiect the application of an adhesive tape'to the ridge whenever such tape is presentedltogether with the work piece, to thepressure applying means. With this in view, it is another object of the invention to pro- :vide improved means for guiding the work piece 355 and a tape in the proper relative position to pres.-

are arranged to apply pressure to a ridge in a "machine in which for adjusting the work guide;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on theline V'-V of I laterally of its length as the work is presented to the pressing means, in combination with means constructed and arranged to guide the tape in alinement with the ridgei To this end, the illustrated guiding means comprises surfaces spaced to receive a tape therebetween, the surfaces converging adjacent to the pressure-applying means, thereby. to position the work laterally with respect to the tape by engagement with the sides of the seam'ridg'e'.

As herein illustrated, the above-mentioned guiding surfaces are formed on spaced, elevated portions of the guiding means which form a tapereceiving channel and which are extended as fingers between which the ridge is received and guided. -In accordance with another feature of the invention, the fingers are mounted yieldin'gly to engage opposite sides of the ridge 'as it passes between them whereby variations in the width of the ridge are accommodated. I

The above and other features of the invention will now be more particularly described by reference to the accompanying drawing and will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, 1 i Fig. 1 is-a side elevation of a portion of the the invention is illustrated as embodied;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1; v Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of th parts shown in Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view of the means Fig.3; and r Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along theline VI VI of Fig. 3. a

Only those parts of the machine described in the above-mentioned application which are necessary for an understanding of the illustrated embodiment of'thepresent inventionare shown in the above figures and will be described herein, These parts comprise a pressing to'ol'iO which cooperates with a work supporting and feed roll 12, and a cover '14 partially encircling the roll and having atape receiving channel 16 for'guidcated at 50, 26, 46'and 48 in the prior application, the element 88, together with its controlling structure, having been eliminated from the machine as illustrated in the prior application. As in the machine disclosed in the beforementioned application, the work is supported and fed by the roll 12 beneath the pressing roll 10 which flattens the portion of the work piece with which it contacts and also presses a tape against the flattened work, the tape having been led-to the roll 12 in the channel 16 in the cover 14. As

described also in the prior specification, the work engaging surfaces of the-work support 12-and the cover 14 are conveiboth circumferentially and transversely to accommodate 'a curved work piece such, for example-,-'as 'a shoe upper, the back seam of which is to be either flattened or both flattened and taped in its'normally curved state in order to avoid the wrinkling which is commonly present in a taped work piece of the above type which has been treated wrong side .Ollt",-' and subsequently turned.

Inaccordance with the present invention, a work guidingfinger 18 is arranged to extend from that elevated portion of the cover 14'which forms one of-the-sides of the channel 16. As indicated in ,Figs. 3 and 5, the work engaging surface of the finger 1 8 is continuous both circumferential- .ly and transversely with the surface of the adjacent portion ofthe-cover 14 and has aplane face :20 adapted for engagement with the side vof a 'ridgein a workpiece such, for example,

' as the seam ridge R in awork piece W, as shown {in the drawings.- Cooperating with the finger 18 and opposite thereto is another finger 22 the upper ,surface of which also is substantially continuous with the adjacent elevatedportion of the cover 14 and which has a plane face 24 correspondingto and spaced from the face 20 onthe ,finger18,-- thereby forming a gap for the recep 'tion'of the ridge R in thework piece W. V

- The work engaging portion of the finger 22 is .at the upper extremity of a relatively flexible bar 26vvhich is secured by means of a screw 28 to a cover 30 at one side of the work support ingroll 12, the cover 30 corresponding to the .plate 33 in the prior application. The fingers i 18 and 2,2, therefore, yieldingly grip the opposite sides of the seam ridge inserted therebetween and readily accommodate varying widths of the -seamridge.Asindicated in Fig. 2, the gap between thesurfaces '20 and 2 4 of the fingers is substantially in alinement with the tape receiving recess .316, thereby. insuring that the tape T and work piece W are relatively'positioned as they are'presented between the pressing element 10 and-the work supportingv roll l2so that the tape will be applied centrally over the ridge if, in-fact,

- the machine is used to apply a tape as well as porting roll 12.

to'flatten the ridge. It isalso to be noted that the gap between the faces 20 and 24 is disposed centrally over-the work supporting roll 12 in order that the ridge in a work piece presented to the machine merely for the purpose of having .the ridge therein flattened will be presented centrally with respect to the work engaging surfaces of the pressing element 10 andof the work sup- In orderto facilitate the operation ofthe fin- 1,973,067 5 I :T Y

is determined by adjustment of a knob 36 extending through the bar 26 and operatively connected to a bushing 38 arranged for engagement at one end with the inner face of the bar 26 and threaded into a sleeve 40 which is fixed to the plate 30. By turning the knob 36, therefore, the bushing 38 maybe moved either inwardly or outwardly of the sleeve 40, thereby causing a corresponding movement of the face 24 on the finger 22 toward or away from the face 20 on the finger 18. In order to facilitate obtaininga firm grip on the knob 36, it may be withdrawn outwardly from its position illustrated in'Figg i, a non-turning connection being maintained between the knob shaft and the bushing 38 by means of a pin 42 fixed in the knob shaft and extending into a'longitudinal recess 44 in the inner surface of the bushing 38. V

In. the operation of the machine, the tape T (Fig. 3) passes along the channel 16 in the cover .14 withgits sticky side upward and between the extremities of the fingers 18 and 22 and the adjacent portion of the work supporting roll 12 as it approaches the bite between the pressing element and the work supporting roll 12. The Work is presented to the, machine over the fingers 18 and 22, as indicated in Fig. 3, the ridge R therein being receiver in the gap between the faces 20 and 24, the width ofv the gap having been previously adjusted in accordance with the Q05 width of the ridge in the work. In View of the above-described relation of alinement, between .the gap and the tape guiding channel 16, the

work is guided so that its ridge and the tape are presented in alinement with respect toeach other and also the pressing tool 10 and the work supporting roll 12. The resilient gripping of the sides of the ridge also causes a slight drag on the work as it isfed between the pressingtool .10 and the roll 12. This causes the work in the i vicinity of the ridge to be straightened in the direction of the ridge as it is pressed into contact with the sticky side of the tape and, inv view of the device above described for controlling the effective resilience in the bar 26 by manipulation of the knob 36, this drag in the work may be regulated as desired.

,Further insurance of the seam being pressed and the tape being affixedthereto in itsnormally curved state is secured by tensioning the 25 work laterally of the ridge, thereby tohold it against, the cover 14 and fingers 18 and 22. Owing to the curvature of the upper faces of the fingers 18 and 22, as above described, the tensioning of the work piece over them also results in causing them to spring toward each other to someextent, thereby increasing the tendency of the fingers to grip the side of the ridge. The gripping effect of the faces 20 and '24'of the fingers 18 and 22, therefore, may be'effectively controlled by the operator as well as by means of the manipulation of the knob 36.

Having thus described my invention, what I. claim as new and desire 'to-secur'e by'Letters'145 Patentof the United States is:

1. In a machine for operating on a workpiece having a ridge, means for applying pressure to the ridge in order to flatten it comprising a work support and. a pressing tech-means for operating 150 said tool to press the ridge in the work piece against said support, and means disposed between the work and said work support and constructed and arranged to control lateral movement of the work by engagement with the ridge.

2. In a machine for applying adhesive tape over a ridge in a work piece, means for applying pressure to the tape and the work piece to flatten the ridge and to insure the adhesion of the tape thereto, and means having work-guiding surfaces spaced to receive a tape therebetween, said surfaces converging adjacent to said pressure-applying means thereby to position the work laterally by engagement with the sides of the ridge.

3. In a machine for applying adhesive tape to a ridged work piece over a ridge therein, means for applying pressure to the ridge and the tape comprising a work support and a pressing tool arranged to engage the tape, means for operating said tool to press the tape against the ridge of the work on said support in order to insure their adhesion and to flatten the ridge, and guiding means disposed between said work and said work support arranged for contact with the ridge and having relatively elevated portions at either side of a lower portion forming a tape-receiving channel for guiding the tape in alinement with the ridge as the work piece is presented to the pressing tool.

4. In a machine for applying tape to a work piece having a seam ridge, means for applying pressure to the work piece in the vicinity of the seam ridge thereby to flatten it and affix a tape thereto, and a guide for the tape and work piece comprising a tape-supporting surface and worksupporting surfaces at each side thereof, said work-supporting surfaces converging beyond said tape-supporting surface thereby to position the seam ridge laterally with respect to the tape.

5. In a machine for operating on a seamed work piece, means for applying pressure to the seam ridge comprising a Work support and a pressing tool, means for operating said tool to press against said support the seam ridge of the work piece presented between said tool and said support, and work-guiding means constructed and arranged for engagement with the sides of the seam ridge and disposed between the work and said work support.

6. In a taping machine, means for applying pressure to a work piece having a seam ridge and an adhesive tape over the ridge to insure their adhesion, and means for guiding the work piece and the tape as they are presented to said pressing means comprising relatively elevated portions at either side of a lower portion forming a channel adapted to receive the tape, said elevated portions being extended and arranged to engage the opposite sides of the seam ridge in order to guide the work piece in alinement with the tape as it is presented to said pressing means.

7 In a taping machine, a work support, a pressing tool, means for operating said tool and said support to cause an adhesive tape and a work piece to be pressed together, means for guiding the tape and work piece as they are presented between said tool and said work support comprising relatively elevated portions at either side of a lower portion forming a tape-receiving channel, and fingers substantially continuous with the said elevated portions of said support and adapted for engagement with the opposite sides of the seam ridge to insure the alinement of the tape and the seam ridge.

8. In a tape applying machine, a work support, means for pressing a tape against a seam ridge in a piece of work on said support, guiding means overlying said support having relatively elevated portions at either side of a lower portion forming a channel adapted to receive a tape, one of said elevated portions being extended to form a finger having a surface shaped for engagement with one side of the seam ridge, and another finger adjacent to said first-mentioned finger, said fingers being arranged to form a gap to receive the seam ridge whereby the seam ridge and the tape are positioned relatively to each other as they are presented to said pressing means.

9. In a tape applying machine, a work support, means for pressing a tape against a seam ridge in a piece of work on said support, guiding means overlying said support having relatively elevated portions at either side of a lower portion forming a channel adapted to receive a tape, and cooperating fingers extending from said elevated portions constructed and arranged yieldingly to engage opposite sides of the seam ridge passing therebetween.

10. A taping machine having a work support and a pressing tool arranged to press an adhesive tape over a seam ridge in a work piece, means for guiding the work and tape as they are presented to the pressing tool having relatively elevated portions at either side of a lower portion forming a tape-receiving channel, one of said elevated portions being extended to form a finger adapted for contact with one side of the seam ridge, and another yielding finger arranged to engage the opposite side of the seam ridge, said fingers being arranged to separate the work from the tape until they approach the bite between the tool and the support.

GEORGE HAZELTON. 

